Microsoft, Nokia team up for app development

Posted March 26, 2012 - 08:01
by
Mark Raby

Microsoft and Nokia are setting aside a combined $24 million to help create new Windows Phone apps.

The new program will launch at Aalto University in Finland, Nokia's home country. Called AppCampus, the initiative will give interested entrepreneurs and app creators the ability to receive grants toward coming up with the next big thing on Windows Phone.

"We aim to attract thousands of applications from students and entrepreneurs from all over the world," said an optimistic Nokia.

As part of the terms of the initiative, interested parties will have to remain exclusive to Windows Phone for at least six months.

Windows Phone currently has a lot of momentum, and it's attributed almost exclusively to Nokia's involvement in the platform. The company's Lumia brand of Windows Phones has almost single-handedly ignited the Microsoft OS in a way that no other manufacturer was able to do for an entire year.

In fact, Nokia became the #1 seller of Windows Phone devices in the most recent quarter, its first quarter in the market.

So that's all good news for Microsoft and Nokia, but the one thing that companies have to worry about every time they have momentum building is the possibility of losing that traction.

Windows Phone is still lagging when it comes to apps, as there are many programs on Android and iOS that have not made their way to the Microsoft platform.

Encouraging brand new apps is probably the way to go. Instead of trying to get existing developers to port their Android and iPhone hits to Windows Phone, Nokia and Microsoft hope the next "hit" will be on their side to begin with.